Giveaway, Review and Interview for Maggie A Savannah Dog

Title:    MAGGIE A Savannah Dog

Author:   Pat Andres 

Genre:   Children 1^st-4^th grades

Publisher:  Self pub – local

ISBN 0-9703795-0-1

Cost $7.00 from author (plus postage)

Author Website

Rating: 4:25 of 5.0

This is a charming book that tells the real story of a sweet dog!  Maggie gets to go to work with her owner Gwen. She follows Gwen and gets lost and found a couple of times! She gets dressed up, complete with lipstick, for holidays like Halloween and Christmas! She gets to work at a school crossing where the kids of course love her! Maggie has a large vocabulary including the words: tub, Gwen, Li'l 'Un (her kitty friend), car and bye bye!

I interviewed the author, Pat Andres, to learn a little more about Maggie!

M:  Hi Pat! Thanks for taking time to tell us a little more about Maggie’s story!

Pat:  My pleasure! MAGGIE is snoring right here with me.

M:  The book is based on a true dog - What made you decide to write the story?

Pat:  MAGGIE was having adventures and became a local celebrity. Children especially took to her at the school crossing. Gwen said, “Why don’t we write a book, sell it and give the money to animal welfare?” I said, “Okay.” Gwen is the world’s best salesperson and the next thing I knew, she had met a Savannah College of Art & Design student who offered to illustrate free! Then she scared up an angel who donated most of the printing cost. Gwen sold MAGGIE to every small shop she could go to, and I took on the big ones through Parnassus, a distributor.

M:  How did you arrange for the cut illustrations?

Pat:  Jason gave them to me. I gave them to the printer.

M:  I notice from your blog that proceeds go to animal welfare! That is wonderful. Is there a local shelter or other program that you contribute to?

Pat:  Early on, we donated to a feral cat rescue group and to our Humane Society. Now we send only to Save-a-life. They do awesome work without a facility (adoptions are arranged every Saturday at Pet Smart) and with volunteers only. They provide cut-rate spaying certificates, something that is so vital.

M:  Is Maggie still keeping Gwen company?

Pat:  Unhappily, MAGGIE died at the age of 9. At first Gwen said we couldn’t replace her “soul mate” but we had 5,000 books to sell, so we looked around and saw an ad for a 3 month old female Boston Terrier. We bought her from a retired military man who said she was “too much woman” for him. Unhappily, Gwen and MAGGIE II didn’t bond. Gwen plunged into depression and MAGGIE came to live with me. That was 10 years ago. Gwen is back up now.

M:  Where/How can friends buy MAGGIE’s book?

Pat:  Please feel free to give my email (pattyflea2003ATyahooDOTcom) to prospective buyers. MAGGIE has been sent all over the country. Some people find me on Google. My website (soon to be interactive) is The Pencil Pusher (patandres-paperediting.com - This is an ad for editing work.)

Thank you again.

THANK YOU Pat!
One lucky commenter can win a copy of MAGGIE!

TO ENTER THE GIVEAWAY:

1. Leave a comment telling me the name of a favorite pet!
    Please include your email address, so I can contact you if you win.

2. For an extra entry, become a follower or tell me if you are already a follower.

3. For another entry, blog, facebook, tweet (any of those networks!) about this giveaway and tell me where you did.

4. You may make all entries in a single comment or separate comments. Since I haven't numbered the comments yet I have to put names/entries on a list for numbering anyway, so posting separately doesn't make a difference unless you post at different times so your numbers are not consecutive!

That is three total entries possible.

This contest is open only to residents of US or Canada. (I apologize that I did not have this in the original post so if there is an entry in the first 8 who is out of the country and they win I will honor the postage.)

This contest will close Midnight (Central) on December 19, 2009. The winner will be randomly selected from all entries.